>>> Since audio(9) doesn't export any interfaces for playing sounds
>>> within the kernel, audiobell() just uses the standard user
>>> interface.  This [...] means that it doesn't make a noise if the
>>> audio device is already open, since it can only be opened once.
>> It would be nice if we built a kernel mixer facility so that the
>> device COULD be opened more than once.  Frequently one wants to
>> listen to to an mp3 and still get console feeps and the occasional
>> sound from a chat program.
> well, no.  keep the software audio mixer *in userland* [1].

Then we really need an audio-device analogue to tun(4) or pty(4), so
that the mixer can get at the output generated by the chat program or
console bell or whatever, to mix it in with whatever else.

Also needed would be a way to direct console beeps to a specific audio
device, or else some other way to direct them to userland for the
actual beep generation to be handled there.

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